Rainbow Dreams
by Fortywinx
Summary: Wooooo-hoooooo! Second chapter up! Ok so I'm finally hinting at relevence to dreams and ff8, please tell me what you think. Apologies for the slowness of me putting up chapters, I've been revising...no really. Please R&R, LOL
1. Starry Night

Rainbow Dreams ****

Rainbow Dreams

Disclaimer: Woo! I actually remembered to put one into my first post! I do not own any of the Final Fantasy characters, they all belong to…dammit, I can think of the name…oh yeah…they all belong to Circlesoft…no wait…_Square_soft…sorry.

There aren't actually any Final Fantasy chars in the first chapter, but please bear with me. I could have put all that I have written here, but it would take waaaaaaaay too long to read. Just trust me, it will get around to explaining what the hell some girl has to do with Final Fantasy ok? Ok….

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Chapter 1- Mundane Life

'Louise, you've been on that Playstation for way too long. Shouldn't you be doing your homework?' My mum said poking her head around the door to my becroom.

I glared at her, and chucked down the controller after quickly saving. I leaned forward, and pushed the switch. Zidane and co, winked off, and the screen on my TV went dark.

Stumping loudly over to my desk, I pulled my homework out of my bag. I stared at it stupidly.

Right, I thought to myself. Pencil case, maths book, text book. I searched through my bag and produced the things I had named, and set them out on my desk. Ok, something to hold the text book open. I placed an old paperweight my Aunt had thoughtfully given me as a Christmas gift, onto the book to hold the pages open.

I carefully wrote down the 'percentage increase' questions I was supposed to do, and began to work them out. After about the third problem, I threw down my pen and stood up. It had taken me about 30 minutes just to do three. God, I hate percentages.

I sat on my bed and stared out of the window for a moment, hugging my teddy bear tightly.

I really wasn't bothered about what the teacher said about my unfinished homework. I could usually come up with _some_ excuse if I had to. I disliked my school immensely. I did the 11+ because I knew it would make mum proud, and also because my Grandparents said I'd never make it into Suttonfields High School for Girls, but I proved them wrong. I got into the damned school, maroon uniform and all, and I discovered that despite the fact that there is supposedly no 'class system' in England anymore, the other girls definitely decided that I was lacking something socially, eg. money, a big house, and all the other things that go with to full time working parents.

I stared out at the moorlands. The sun was making the landscape awash with beautiful golds and reds and pinks. I sighed, and flopped back onto my bed. Why did I have to be born into this family? My mum and dad parted on good terms when I was 9, and I saw him every Wednesday and Saturday after that, more or less. And my dad always used to go and cry on my mum's shoulder when he fell out with his girlfriends. I always thought that was really weird.

My mum hasn't had a job since he left, she's always been a full time mum, what with me and my sister, Rebecca. I closed my eyes, and imagined myself in a Final Fantasy like situation. 

I'd use…a sword. Yeah, not like the poncy girls they have in these final fantasies, who always use blunt or weird weapons that do no damage. And I'd be like…a ninja. Kewl, and of course the male lead would undoubtedly fall in love with me by the time we'd saved the world. I opened my eyes and smiled to myself. I was hiding away in this room and playing on my PS every waking hour just because my life was a bit of a mess. I was 16! That's no age to be dreaming of going and living with the faeries in the land of Oz. But still it would be soooo cool, the childish part of me persisted. I shook my head, things like that only happen in stories and games. I knew that, but I still dreamed of myself like that when I was asleep, and imagined what it would be like.

I stood up, dropping my bear to the bed. And walked downstairs to calls of my mum telling me it was teatime.

I woke up in a cold sweat, and sat bolt upright. I could hear the owls hooting outside my window. Climbing out of bed, I stepped on something hard and swore while hopping around madly for a few seconds, all the while trying to be as quiet as I could.

I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. I didn't bother to turn on the kitchen light, despite the darkness. I knew my way around the kitchen anyway. As I got a glass of water, I looked out of the window at the sky. 

Stars freckled the deep blue of the night, and the moon hung as a pearly white orb glowing sedately. On a whim, I stepped out into the garden. The night was warm, and clear. I breathed in the clean, country air and sighed happily. I was scared of the dark normally, but tonight my fear switch must have been turned off. I was probably just too tired to care.

A noise of little paws padding down the path alerted me to the fact that I was about to be joined by my pet cat, Cola. I felt her brush my legs and I picked her up and stroked her, while looking up at the speckled sky.

I walked out to the tiny road that lead down to this little row of cottages in the middle of nowhere, still holding Cola in my arms. I felt like I was in a daze. My sensible mind was screaming, you're out at night-time, in the dark, in your pyjamas, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ON!! But I felt oddly elated about the fact that I was out on my own in the dark I had always been so afraid of before.

A noise caused me to swing around, and bright white light seared into my eyes, which I clamped shut. Then there was darkness….

I opened my eyes. An orange streaked sky, made me sit up with a start. I had fallen asleep outside and now it was dawn! But when I stood up and looked I realised that in fact it was sunset. I frowned. What the f…….

I swung around at hearing a noise behind me. A boy stood out from behind the trees, and I nearly laughed out loud at what he was wearing, until I remembered that _I_ was wearing my pyjamas. The ones with the little teddy bears all over them.

He seemed….familiar in some kind of weird way, he also didn't look quite real. His hair was, longish, and slightly floppy looking, except that it hardly flopped at all. I wondered how much gel he'd put on it to make it stay put, and then I noticed the sword hanging at his belt.

My jaw dropped. I recognised that sword! I closed my mouth quickly. But it obviously wasn't that sword, because that sword didn't exist. He was staring at my oddly. I closed my eyes. Oh my god, the teddy bears….

'Urrm, can I ask what you're doing here?' He asked, politely.

Oh shit. How was I supposed to answer that? Oh yeah, I decided to wander around in the dead of night dressed only in my pyjamas, and then there was this white light, and now I'm here….no, she'd have to think of something else.

'I'm…I'm not really sure.' Dammit, why couldn't I have thought of something better than that?

'You seem lost. Would you like me to take you to the nearest town?' His voice was pleasant, and he spoke with no accent, so it was impossible to tell where he was from.

'Err, yes please. I think someone's played a prank on me.' I said, lamely.

He nodded and held out his hand, 'My name's Kadri. Kadri Sadril- Liamardt'

I frowned, 'Leeamaart?'

He winced at my mispronunciation, and nodded, 'Yes, it's a name all my family bears. It is carried throughout life no matter how the persons proper surname.'

'Ah, I see.' I replied falling into step with him. Something at the back of my brain was trying to get my attention, but I shrugged it away and said, 'My name's Louise. Louise……' I stopped. I didn't want to give this guy my real surname, in case he was some weirdo who stalked me or something. I said the first name which came into my head, 'Louise..Hart…ully.' Dammit! I knew I'd been playing too much Final Fantasy 8. I'd caught myself just in time to change 'illy' to 'ully', but still he probably thought I was a total weirdo. I remembered the pyjamas and amended that to 'even more of a weirdo'.

He frowned slightly at my name, and then shrugged. 

'It's this way,' he said pointing off to the left, before striding off in that direction. A cat ran out from under a nearby bush and hissed at him.

'Cola!' I yelled, and scooped my cat up. Well that settled it. I couldn't be far from home, what with Cola being here. 

I briefly remembered the fact that Cola had been in my arms when that white light hit us. I shook my head slightly to rid myself of that stupid thought, and hurried after Kadri. Things like that only happen in books, I told myself.

Authors Notes: Ok, sorry about the total lack of anything resembling ff at the moment, but in a couple of days I will post up the next bit _if I get some R&R_. If I get no response I'll just assume that it's crap, and then I'll go and hide myself in the closet and cry.

LOL 


	2. Another World

Rainbow Dreams ****

Rainbow Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Final Fantasy characters which I may mention in my story, they all belong to Squaresoft, and they get all the money….lucky swines

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Notes: I'm gonna try to make some things clear without totally giving away the story line. Firstly, I hate to say this but I'm not sure that the actual characters from ff8 will be directly involved in this story, basically I'm using the world and using the storyline, but I might just bring them in later….somehow. Also, don't put in your reviews that I've spelt place names wrong, or characters names, coz it's probably deliberate.

Right, moving onwards, thanx to the peeps who reviewed, and to anyone else reading this PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHETHER ITS GOOD OR NOT. Thank you…..

Chapter 2- Another World

People were talking and she could hear the hustle and bustle of a busy place. She thought she recognised her mothers voice among them, worried and strained.

The image switched. Flashes of pain lanced through her body, and masked faces briefly illuminated before her eyes. Dull red flowed through her eyelids into her skull. The images vanished.

Louise opened her eyes. Through blurred vision she could see a face peering over her inert form. A woman's face with brown hair and green eyes.

'Mum?' She said muzzily.

She blinked, and her vision cleared.

No, definitely not mum. This woman was quite young, about Kadri's age I guessed. Her face was also vaguely familiar, like Kadri's had been.

She smiled, 'No, I'm not your mom. My name's Issie. I'm a friend of Kadri.'

I sat up and looked around. I was lying in a bed in a hotel room by the look of it. The smell of briny air wafted through the open window.

'What happened?' 

'You collapsed as Kadri was bringing you here. He carried you the rest of the way and then went and got me. I'm a healer of sorts.'

'Oh…good?' My mind was definitely not working. That dream had been really weird. Hah! This whole experience was weird. I had no idea where I was, other than the fact I was by the sea, and since I lived in the heart of the Yorkshire dales this was slightly worrying because it took a long car journey to get anywhere near a beach from where I live.

I pulled back the covers, and swung my legs around. I suddenly remembered the pjs. Issie covered her mouth with a hand to hide a smile.

'So do you remember why Kadri found you wandering around dressed in your pyjamas?' She asked, still smiling.

I shook my head. 'I have no idea where I am. No idea how I got here, and no idea why I'm here.'

Issie stood up, 'The hotel owner said there were some old clothes in the closet you could borrow, since you didn't seem to have any of your own. When you've changed go downstairs and ask tell the owner that your looking for Issie Kiniays-Telmut, and he'll give you directions to the café where Kadri and I will wait for you.'

After she'd gone I walked over to the closet. And grimaced as I opened the door cautiously. 

I sniffed the air. Well, no sign of any mustiness or mothballs yet, now all I had to hope was that a) these clothes weren't 50 years out of date, and that b) they were my size.

I dragged out the most promising looking clothes although frankly none of them would've looked out of place at a fancy dress party. But then who was I to complain. I had just spent most of the evening wandering around in my nightwear.

I pulled on some dark grey-blue loose trousers which looked about my size, and found a long sleeved top which I pulled on over my head. There were little pearlescent pale blue and silver stars around one of the pockets on the trousers. The top was a blue the exact same shade as the stars on the trousers. There was a little silver star just above the hem on the left side.

I posed in front of the mirror few a few minutes, before guiltily remembering that Kadri and Issie were waiting for me. I bundled all the other clothes back into the wardrobe except for a sort of tight jacket thing, which looked as if it was also meant to go with the top and trousers I was wearing.

Grabbing my neatly folded pyjamas, I legged it down the stairs into the bustling foyer of the hotel.

I scowled at anyone who gave me an odd look. One guy looked at the pyjamas in my hand, and whispered something to his friends who also looked up at me, grinning. I felt like punching the first guy in the mouth, and felt a blush travel up my face.

I spotted my cat sitting on the front desk being petted by the hotel owner. Traitor, I thought. Leaving me all alone in some strange hotel where everyone dresses weird.

'Excuse me. Could you tell me where Issie Kiniays-Telmet is please?' Hmmm, Issie's surname reminded me of something too….

The hotel owner looked up. 'You're Louise Hartully right?'

'Uh..yeah. That's right.' Damn! Why the hell did I choose _that _name.

'She's at the café. Go round up this street and then go left at the junction. It's near the train station, you can't miss it.'

I nodded, and glared at Cola who was sitting there purring and giving me a knowing look.

'Ummm, could I have my cat please?'

The owner looked surprised, 'Oh she's yours is she? She's a lovely good-natured kitty ain't she?'

I gave Cola a dirty look. The cat turned its head away shamelessly.

'Yes she is. Thank you for looking after her for me.' I scooped her up into my arms.

'No trouble at all.' He said, as I headed for the door.

When I stepped out into the evening sunlight, I had a good look around. Well I certainly didn't recognise this place. The hotel front was curved, and the road outside curved around it gently sloping downwards like part of a spiral. Again the faint pangs of recognition bounced up and down in my brain.

As I hurried up the road, I realised that this place was definitely somewhere I'd seen before, although it looked kinda…futuristic. Most of the buildings were curved, and I couldn't see any typical brick built houses.

I passed some shops which I didn't recognise at all, proving that I'd probably never been here before. Although perhaps this place had been on a holiday program or something. But then, that theory was ruptured when I remembered that I couldn't be far from home….could I? This was way too confusing.

I saw the train station, and the café was just to one-side.

I put Cola down outside, knowing that she wouldn't stray far except possibly for food or petting that the people around here might provide. I considered throwing my pyjamas into the bin nearby, but then decided that mum would kill me once I got back. Actually she was probably gonna kill me anyway for wandering around at night then getting lost.

I wandered over to the table where Kadri and Issie were seated and sat in the spare chair.  
'How are you feeling now?' Kadri asked politely.

'Oh I feel much better now, thank you.' 

Issie smiled, 'I was telling Kadri how you still can't remember how you got here. I think perhaps you have amnesia.'

'Oh right.' Well what else could I say to that? Looking around I noticed that the rest of the clientele were dressed oddly.

'But we'd like to help you work out where your town is and how you came to be here.' Issie continued.

'Oh I don't actually live in a town, but the village nearest to us is called Wilsill.'

Issie and Kadri exchanged glances. 'Wilsill?' Issie said, frowning. 'Never heard of it. Do you mean Winhill?'

Winhill? Where had I heard that name….The answer hit me, and I nearly fell off my chair in shock. The world around me seemed to slow down and come into focus. But of course that explained the futuristic design, the dodgy dress sense and the reason why nobody looked quite real….

I looked into Issie and Kadri's questioning faces. I felt like I was in a dream. Perhaps I was.

I grabbed Issie's arm desperately. 'Where am I? What's this town called?' I said hoarsely.

'Balamb.'

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Author's Notes: Ok so I finally got this chapter up. Whaddaya think? R&R please, and I'll keep writing.  
LOL.


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